subject: When It Comes To A Martial Arts Bible Several Books Have To Be Considered [print this page] I see advertisements for a Martial Arts Bible every once in a while, and it's a clever advertisement. I mean, the idea for a book that answers all questions, it's a good one, and it's necessary. Here are a list of books which I think need to be considered, with the last one really hitting the button.
The first book to be considered would be Karate Do Kyohan: The Master Text, by Gichin Funakoshi. The reason this book has to be considered is because it was the first to really offer a comprehensive look at the eastern fighting disciplines. Of course, it is slanted towards Karate, and it offers techniques and forms without real explanation, but it is a good book.
The next book to hit the shores with impact was the George Mattson book on Uechi Ryu. This was huge, offered hows and whys, and even went into some of the legends and real possibilities of the arts. While it was of more depth than Funakoshi's epic, it didn't cover grappling or throwing in much detail.
Filling the space left by the first two books in this list, and through the use of some of the most beautiful martial arts images ever inked, is Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere. While it goes too far in the opposite direction, not presenting any of the force arts, it is still a work head and shoulders above nearly all others. The book was written and inked by Oliver Ratti and Adele Westbrook.
The next book on our list is Yang Family Secret Transmissions. This book is weak on form and technique, but absolutely amazing on presentation of concept. The trick is to be able to extrapolate these concepts to all arts and make them work.
One of the little known Martial Arts scribblings is a rare book called Taiki-ken. While the title means Tai Chi Chuan, it actually deals more with the art of Hsing I. Interestingly, while this book is slim on words, it imparts immense wisdom, and it is one of those rare gems that a student must be ready for, or it will likely go right over their heads.
Last on the list, and the one that resides in relative obscurity, is The Master Instructor Course. It is a book, and it is accompanied by two videos which detail exactly what the author is saying. Hard or soft, intrinsic or external, striking or throwing, the author explains all, and it is an enlightenment for any who read it.
In closing, there will likely be some disagreement as to what is necessary to make a martial arts bible. Still, the books on this list are pivotal to the eastern fighting disciplines, and well worth the read. Of course, bible or not, all are worthless in the hands of people who are not willing to read, to think, and to put to work on a dojo mat.
